Bird Walk for Beginners

Are you curious about the feathered friends that inhabit local parks and neighborhoods? Join us for a fun and informative bird walk especially for beginners!

Discover the Joy of Birdwatching
This walk will introduce you to the basics of birdwatching and help you develop the skills to identify common backyard birds. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, a budding birder, or simply looking to spend some time outdoors, this event is the perfect opportunity to connect with the avian world around you.

Join Us for a Delightful Morning
Mark your calendars and come prepared to have a wonderful time exploring the beauty of the natural world. This bird walk is open to all ages and skill levels, so bring your family, friends, or just yourself and get ready to discover the fascinating world of birds. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Details
The walk will begin in the Fish Creek parking lot at 8:00 a.m. The varied habitat of sedges and grasses, shrubs, alder, willow, and conifers along with the fresh creek water mixing with incoming salt water creates a unique and beautiful estuary. Spring migration can bring flocks of sea and dabbling ducks, shorebirds, gulls, crows, and early songbird migrants. The trail is a relatively flat mile from the parking lot to the peninsula point. (Low tide -0.6’ at 11:16 am)

View the Event!
/by

Flock Together for the Great Backyard Bird Count

New York, NY, Ithaca, NY, and Port Rowan, ON—Fun for one becomes multiplied when birders join forces for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Participating with friends, family, or a community group means there are more eyes to spot the birds and a deeper well of knowledge to draw from. Knowing where birds are seen—and not seen—is more important than ever during this El Niño year, and as climate change weather fluctuations influence bird movements.

The 27th annual Great Backyard Bird Count is taking place February 16 through 19, 2024.

More than an estimated half-million people participated during the 2023 GBBC. They reported more than 7,500 species of birds from 200+ countries.

Read more about this exciting event here.

/by

Christmas Bird Count

The 2023 Juneau Christmas Bird Count will take place on Saturday, December 16, 2023. The Christmas Bird Count is a national citizen science event sponsored by the National Audubon Society. This year’s count is the 124th national count and 51st Juneau count. To learn more about the Christmas Bird Count, visit the National Audubon Society website at https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count .

An organizational email message will go out to past volunteers in November. If you are new to the Juneau count and would like to participate as a field volunteer or feeder watcher,

/by

2023 Birding Field Trips begin April 15

2023 Spring Bird Walks and Events:

JAS field trips are back!

JAS Field Trips are free and open to the public. Please bring binoculars and gear up appropriately: layered clothing, rain and sun protection, snacks, and drinking water. A bird book or phone id app for bird identification will be useful.

PRINT OUT THE FIELD TRIP SCHEDULE:

Word Document Format: Click here

PDF Format:  Click here

Registration via Eventbrite is optional but encouraged.  And please leave your four-legged furry friends at home.

NOTE: You will find directions, maps, and other informative links on JAS Eventbrite, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. Also, departure times and Field Trip details may change. We suggest that you check these JAS sites prior to your field trip.

The Berners Bay Cruises have a cost associated with them. These are our major fundraisers for the year.  Tickets are available from Juneau Arts and Humanities Council at
https://jahc.na.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/14781.

Register now for the next free, public Bird Walk  at  bit.ly/jas-eventbrite

Date/Time: Activity/Location Field Trip Leaders/s
April 15

8-10 am

 

 Bird Walk with a focus on beginning birders.

Fish Creek Park

11100 North Douglas Highway

 Marsha Squires and

Thomas Young-Bayer, JAS

 
April 22

9:30-11:30 am

 

 Annual Juneau Community Wetlands Cleanup.

Sunny Point Conserved Properties

 Partnering with Litter Free Inc. and Southeast Alaska Land Trust

Brenda Wright, JAS

Doreen Prieto, JAS
April 29

8:30 am departure

12:30 pm return

 

 Berners Bay Cruise with Allen Marine Tours

JAS Annual Fundraiser

Statter Harbor

11485 Auke Bay Harbor Road

 Laurie Craig, Storyteller

Scott Vulstek, Research Fisheries Biologist, NOAA

Kate Savage, DVM, NOAA

Lauren Cusimano, JAS

Michelle Trifari, Alaska Sea

Grant State Fellow, NOAA

Brenda Wright, JAS
May 6

8-10 am

 Bird Walk

Outer Point Loop Trail

11.3 miles north on Douglas Hwy

 Doug Woodby and

Mary Hausler

 
May 13

8-10 am

World Migratory Bird Day

 Songbird Banding Demonstration with a focus on young scientists and families.

Juneau Community Garden

5669 Montana Creek Road

 Gwen Baluss, Wildlife Technician, US Forest Service

 
May 13

10 am-12 pm

World Migratory Bird Day

 Bird Walk with a focus on young scientists and families.

Juneau Community Garden

5669 Montana Creek Road

 Alex Hale

Doreen Prieto, JAS
May 14 Mother’s Day

8:30 am departure

12:30 pm return

 

 Berners Bay Cruise with Allen Marine Tours

JAS Annual Fundraiser

Statter Harbor

11485 Auke Bay Harbor Road

 Laurie Craig, Storyteller

Dr. Mary Willson, Ecologist

Kim Ramos, Naturalist

Lizzie Solger, JAS

Brenda Wright, JAS
May 20

8-10 am

 Bird Walk with a focus on photography.

Airport Dike Trail

2010 Radcliffe Road

 Betsy and Scott Fischer
June 3

8-10 am

 

 Bird Walk

Airport Dike Trail

2010 Radcliffe Road

 Patty Rose (limited to 10 birders)

Jeff Sauer
June 10

8-10 am

 Bird Walk

Dredge Lake

4513 Dredge Lake Road

 Deb Rudis
June 17

8-10 am

 Bird Walk

Eagle Beach

Mile 29, Glacier Highway

 Rob MacDonald, Biological Scientist, US Forest Service
June 24

8-10 am

 Bird Walk with Southeast Alaska Land Trust

Sunny Point Conserved Properties

 Partnering with Southeast Alaska Land Trust

Brenda Wright, JAS

Doreen Prieto, JAS
/by

JAS Membership Potluck Barbecue

The Juneau Audubon Society was honored to host a community potluck at Sandy Beach while honoring board members past and present.

Thanks to an Active Juneau Audubon Society Board

By Marsha Squires

Even though the JAS Board takes a hiatus from monthly meetings May through August, don’t think things haven’t been happening. Spring 2022 has been full of events and accomplishments in bird education, conservation, and research. Take a look at the list of achievements and where our energy is focused on serving our community and its members:

· Face-to-face guided bird walks returned to the trails Two Berners Bay cruises offered more than 170 passengers the beauty of birding with accomplished storytellers and naturalists

· New technology was tried: Eventbrite for walk registrations

· JAS partnered with Annie Kaill’s Gallery and artist Evon Zerbetz

· A low-tide walk occurred, and one more is scheduled for July 15

(Please register on Eventbrite at bit.ly/jas-eventbrite!)

· A partnership with Alaska State Parks allowed posts of “Caution: Nesting Area” signs in critical habitat on Portland Island

· Research on Tree Swallow nesting continues with close to 65 boxes monitored weekly

· A college intern was hired to support the Arctic Tern research project and other related work

· The Global Big Day and World Migratory Bird Day events spurred a bonanza of birding on eBird and in southeast Alaska

· Several articles regarding birding, events, and citizen science were written and appeared in local media

· KTOO radio spots have happened and are going to continue every Friday through August

· A long-standing partnership with Icy Strait Birding Tours supported JAS to employ a local artist to create two interpretive signs for the Hoonah Harbor. The manufacturing process is beginning.

· A new Instagram account was created and shout-outs to followers have been timely, professional, and eye-catching JAS partook in the first meeting regarding the Juneau-Douglas Second Crossing

· And finally, a JAS board retreat is being planned for late August

Thank you to all JAS Board members and volunteers for a successful and full spring season.

 

/by